Children of Domestic Violence Victims

Many domestic violence victims have pets and those pets often suffer harm, and sometimes death, at the hands of the perpetrator. When speaking with children, it is advisable to ask them questions about their experience with pets and other animals. By asking about animals in the home, family violence can be identified earlier, making intervention more likely to succeed, and safeguarding the safety of children, pets, and their families.

Asking Children about their Relationship with Animals:

Have you or your family ever had any pets? What happened to them?

Do you have a pet or pets now?

Have you ever lost a pet you really cared about? What happened?

Has your pet ever been hurt?

Have you ever felt afraid for your pet or worried about bad things happening to your pet?

Has anybody ever tried to make you do something you didn’t want to do by threatening to hurt your pet? What happened?

Have you ever seen someone hurt an animal or pet? Tell me what happened.

Have you ever hurt an animal or pet? Tell me what happened.

Have you ever been frightened or hurt by an animal or pet? Describe what happened.

What happens when your family pet misbehaves?

Have you ever been punished for something your pet did, like getting into the trash?

Or has your pet ever been punished for something you did, like not doing the dishes when you were told to?

Children who witness abuse are at greater risk for becoming either victims or perpetrators. One form of abuse that children too often witness is toward the pet in family violence situations. When there is knowledge that a child has witnessed animal abuse, the following information should be obtained from the child or his or her caretaker:

The relationship of the child to the abuser; if it was a family member, do a thorough assessment of other abuse that may be occurring in the family and take appropriate action

The relationship of the child to the animal

The type and severity of the abuse and who was involved

How many times it occurred

The type of victim(s), and the victim(s) response, as well as the response of the perpetrators and other witnesses

Ask the child, “What was the hardest thing for you about what happened; or what bothers you the most about what happened?

The child’s role in witnessing animal cruelty—active or passive, encouraging or discouraging, coerced (real or perceived?)

Assess the child’s immediate and long-term response to being a witness. Does the child exhibit:

Anxiety

Nightmare or frightening dreams

Difficulty sleeping or eating

Withdrawal

Problems concentrating

Repetitive play with themes or aspects of the trauma

Disorganized or agitated behavior

Does the child feel:

Shame

Guilt

Remorse

Does the child experience:

Numbing or feelings of detachment

A restricted range of affect?

Is the child fearful of reprisal?

Did the child speak about the abuse to anyone?

What was the response of the person to whom the child spoke about the abuse

Getting Help for Children Who Witnessed or Engaged in Animal Abuse:

Children who witness violence should be evaluated by a mental health professional and a treatment plan developed. Most trained mental health professionals have the necessary skills and training to do this; however, they must be aware to ask questions directly about the child either witnessing or engaging in animal abuse. At times, the evaluation and/or treatment plan will include some type of animal-assisted therapy.

In addition, there is a network of mental health professionals who have been especially trained in an approach called "AniCare." For a listing of those mental health professionals, please contact ken.shapiro@animalsandsociety.org.